Published: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at 8:52 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at 8:52 p.m.

WINTER HAVEN | After breakfast, "Mother" Lewis ended up in handcuffs.

Facts

Correction

An article published on page B1 on Thursday incorrectly said Bishop Joseph Lewis is with the Church of God the Bible Way. He is with Church of God and True Holiness and is the diocese bishop for Southern Florida, which includes the Winter Haven church. The online version has been edited to reflect this correction.

The image of the 78-year-old woman sitting in a holding cell had more than 20 people protesting outside A&G Restaurant in Winter Haven on Wednesday morning.

The Jan. 14 arrest and the events that followed has entangled the restaurant staff, two women facing charges, Winter Haven police, the State Attorney's Office and the protesters defending the women and urging potential customers not to eat at A&G.

The fact that Willie "Mother" Lewis and her daughter Ruthena Lewis, 44, ate at A&G and left without paying is undisputed.

The pair left the restaurant, at 1174 Havendale Blvd., were arrested at their church and charged with misdemeanors.

"They should not have treated her that way," said Bishop Joseph Lewis, who is with Church of God and True Holiness and is the diocese bishop for Southern Florida, which includes the Winter Haven church. Lewis was with the protesters as cars honked and zoomed past.

"This woman is a pillar in the community she lives in."

Joseph Lewis is not related to Willie Lewis or Ruthena Lewis.

The circumstances that led to the arrest of the pair and the events that followed are documented in 10 pages of Winter Haven police reports.

About 10:30 a.m. Jan. 14, the two women ate a breakfast that came to an $18.46 bill, the report said.

After the meal, Ruthena Lewis took her mother to their car outside, and then returned inside to pay for the meal, Willie Lewis said.

"I couldn't see anything from out there," the elder woman said.

According to the police reports, Crystal Henson, a restaurant staff member, ran a credit card that Ruthena Lewis gave her and it was declined. Restaurant staff told police Ruthena Lewis held the cancel button down as she ran the card, according to the reports.

The report said police were told that "(Ruthena Lewis) stated to (Henson) that if she gave them the meal for free she would go to heaven. If she ran the credit card again, she would go to hell."

Ruthena Lewis then handed Henson a business card with Joseph Lewis' information on it, and told her that the restaurant could call him to pay for the bill. Ruthena Lewis left the restaurant, got into the car and drove off, but an employee got her license number and gave it to Winter Haven police, who arrested the pair soon after.

Willie Lewis had $80 cash in her purse when she was arrested, the report said.

Joseph Lewis said he came to the restaurant soon after the arrest and paid the check. He is a regular customer at A&G and had eaten breakfast there earlier in the day. When he paid the women's bill, he said the restaurant's owner, George Paragios, told him he would ask police to drop charges against the women.

On Jan. 18, police arrived at the restaurant to have Paragios sign a waiver of prosecution.

"He advised that he wanted to continue with the charges, and refused to sign the waiver," the report says.

When Paragios declined to sign the waiver to not seek prosecution of the two women he told police they "were cursing and causing a disturbance." A disturbance wasn't noted in the original report of the incident.

Paragios declined to comment about the situation Wednesday, but he allowed the waitress, Natasha Anthony, who got the license plate number on Jan. 14, to comment for the restaurant.

Anthony said the women were purposely trying to leave the restaurant without paying for their food.

"The law is the law whether you're 25 years old or 85 years old," she said.

Protesters said they planned to stay outside the restaurant until 1 p.m. Wednesday then come back Saturday if the charges on the women remain.

Because the Winter Haven Police Department has filed charges, if Paragios were to sign the waiver now, the State Attorney's Office would take the suggestion to drop charges into consideration but the waiver wouldn't guarantee that.

A diversion program is another possibility that could involve the women repaying Winter Haven police for investigation costs but would also result in the charges being dropped.

Their next court date is March 4, said Brian Haas, State Attorney's Office spokesman, although the case may be resolved before that.

Neither of the women has a previous criminal record, Haas said.

Sharon Henderson of Winter Haven came to the scene of the protest about noon Wednesday as a bystander. She saw the black protesters and white customers walking into the restaurant.

A white woman had yelled racially charged statements at the protesters just minutes prior.

"Automatically, this just looks racial, and that is a shame," said Henderson, who is black.

<p>WINTER HAVEN | After breakfast, "Mother" Lewis ended up in handcuffs.</p><p>The image of the 78-year-old woman sitting in a holding cell had more than 20 people protesting outside A&G Restaurant in Winter Haven on Wednesday morning.</p><p>The Jan. 14 arrest and the events that followed has entangled the restaurant staff, two women facing charges, Winter Haven police, the State Attorney's Office and the protesters defending the women and urging potential customers not to eat at A&G.</p><p>The fact that Willie "Mother" Lewis and her daughter Ruthena Lewis, 44, ate at A&G and left without paying is undisputed. </p><p>The pair left the restaurant, at 1174 Havendale Blvd., were arrested at their church and charged with misdemeanors.</p><p>"They should not have treated her that way," said Bishop Joseph Lewis, who is with Church of God and True Holiness and is the diocese bishop for Southern Florida, which includes the Winter Haven church. Lewis was with the protesters as cars honked and zoomed past.</p><p>"This woman is a pillar in the community she lives in."</p><p>Joseph Lewis is not related to Willie Lewis or Ruthena Lewis.</p><p>The circumstances that led to the arrest of the pair and the events that followed are documented in 10 pages of Winter Haven police reports.</p><p>About 10:30 a.m. Jan. 14, the two women ate a breakfast that came to an $18.46 bill, the report said. </p><p>After the meal, Ruthena Lewis took her mother to their car outside, and then returned inside to pay for the meal, Willie Lewis said.</p><p>"I couldn't see anything from out there," the elder woman said.</p><p>According to the police reports, Crystal Henson, a restaurant staff member, ran a credit card that Ruthena Lewis gave her and it was declined. Restaurant staff told police Ruthena Lewis held the cancel button down as she ran the card, according to the reports.</p><p>The report said police were told that "(Ruthena Lewis) stated to (Henson) that if she gave them the meal for free she would go to heaven. If she ran the credit card again, she would go to hell."</p><p>Ruthena Lewis then handed Henson a business card with Joseph Lewis' information on it, and told her that the restaurant could call him to pay for the bill. Ruthena Lewis left the restaurant, got into the car and drove off, but an employee got her license number and gave it to Winter Haven police, who arrested the pair soon after. </p><p>Willie Lewis had $80 cash in her purse when she was arrested, the report said.</p><p>Joseph Lewis said he came to the restaurant soon after the arrest and paid the check. He is a regular customer at A&G and had eaten breakfast there earlier in the day. When he paid the women's bill, he said the restaurant's owner, George Paragios, told him he would ask police to drop charges against the women.</p><p>On Jan. 18, police arrived at the restaurant to have Paragios sign a waiver of prosecution.</p><p>"He advised that he wanted to continue with the charges, and refused to sign the waiver," the report says. </p><p>When Paragios declined to sign the waiver to not seek prosecution of the two women he told police they "were cursing and causing a disturbance." A disturbance wasn't noted in the original report of the incident.</p><p>Paragios declined to comment about the situation Wednesday, but he allowed the waitress, Natasha Anthony, who got the license plate number on Jan. 14, to comment for the restaurant.</p><p>Anthony said the women were purposely trying to leave the restaurant without paying for their food. </p><p>"The law is the law whether you're 25 years old or 85 years old," she said.</p><p>Protesters said they planned to stay outside the restaurant until 1 p.m. Wednesday then come back Saturday if the charges on the women remain.</p><p>Because the Winter Haven Police Department has filed charges, if Paragios were to sign the waiver now, the State Attorney's Office would take the suggestion to drop charges into consideration but the waiver wouldn't guarantee that.</p><p>A diversion program is another possibility that could involve the women repaying Winter Haven police for investigation costs but would also result in the charges being dropped.</p><p>Their next court date is March 4, said Brian Haas, State Attorney's Office spokesman, although the case may be resolved before that.</p><p>Neither of the women has a previous criminal record, Haas said.</p><p>Sharon Henderson of Winter Haven came to the scene of the protest about noon Wednesday as a bystander. She saw the black protesters and white customers walking into the restaurant.</p><p>A white woman had yelled racially charged statements at the protesters just minutes prior.</p><p>"Automatically, this just looks racial, and that is a shame," said Henderson, who is black. </p><p>"There are too many of these petty things going on in the world."</p>